Apparatus for sensing data of semiconductor integrated circuit

ABSTRACT

An apparatus includes a plurality of first driving signal driving units, and generates a first driving signal by driving an input signal, a plurality of second driving signal driving units, each of which drives an input signal and generates a second driving signal, a timing control unit that controls each of the first driving signal driving units such that a predetermined time difference is generated between an enable timing of the first driving signal and an enable timing of the second driving signal, a plurality of sense amplifier driving units, each of which generates a first driving level and a second driving level according to the first driving signal and the second driving signal, and a plurality of sense amplifiers that are provided for respective bit line pairs, and each include first type switching elements operating according to the first driving level and second type switching elements operating according to the second driving level.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/647,466, filed Dec. 29, 2006, the subject matter of which applicationis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.10-2006-0012350, filed on Feb. 9, 2006, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit, andmore particularly, to an apparatus for sensing data of a semiconductorintegrated circuit.

2. Related Art

Among semiconductor integrated circuits, DRAM (Dynamic Random AccessMemory) devices sense and amplify data, which is stored in memory cells,using sense amplifiers. The sense amplifiers are connected to bit linesof the memory cells respectively, and determine memory cell data bycomparing a voltage level at which a charge is shared between the bitlines and a precharge voltage level of a bit line. A sense amplifierblock may be connected to one memory block and sense data stored inmemory cells within the memory block. The sense amplifier block may alsobe connected to two memory blocks and selectively sense data stored inmemory cells within one of the two memory blocks.

A conventional apparatus for sensing data of a semiconductor integratedcircuit includes sense amplifiers. Each of the sense amplifiers includesfirst and second CMOS inverters that are connected to each other with alatch structure.

There may be a difference between a threshold voltage of the MOStransistor in the first CMOS inverter and a threshold voltage of the MOStransistor in the second CMOS inverter may be. More specifically, as anintegration density of the semiconductor integrated circuits increases,channel lengths of the MOS transistors may be slightly changed during aprocess of manufacturing the MOS transistors. This small change in thechannel lengths may cause the difference in threshold voltage betweenthe MOS transistors.

FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating simulation results of threshold voltageoffset between right CMOS transistors and between left CMOS transistors(that is, NMOS transistors and PMOS transistors) that constitute a senseamplifier according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, thedifference in threshold voltage offset between the PMOS transistors islarger than the difference in threshold voltage offset between the NMOStransistors.

The difference in threshold voltage between the PMOS transistors causesa difference in sense amplifier driving signals for driving the senseamplifier. That is, each of the PMOS transistors comprising the senseamplifier has a drain to which an RTO signal is input, and each of theNMOS transistors comprising the sense amplifier has a source to which anSB signal is input. The amount of time required for the RTO signal tobecome a VDD level is shorter than the amount of time required for theSB signal to become a VSS level, due to the variation of the PMOStransistor. Therefore, even when the NMOS transistors need to be turnedon, the PMOS transistors are turned on first, which causes an error inthe sense amplifier.

According to another method of the related art, referring to FIGS. 2Aand 2B, the technique has been proposed, in which a signal for drivingNMOS transistors (for example, SAN) of a CMOS latch is generated, andthen, a signal for driving PMOS transistors (for example, SAP) isgenerated. Therefore, in theory, it is designed so that the NMOStransistors configuring the CMOS latch are turned on earlier than thePMOS transistors.

However, when the semiconductor integrated circuit operates at a highVDD condition, a time difference between the signal for driving the NMOStransistors and the signal for driving the PMOS transistors is reduced.Therefore, in fact, the PMOS transistors are still turned on first,which causes a sensing error.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for sensingdata of a semiconductor memory that is capable of preventing a datasensing error.

According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided anapparatus for sensing data of a semiconductor memory that includes: aplurality of first driving signal driving units, each of which includesa first inverter and a second inverter receiving an output of the firstinverter, and generates a first driving signal by driving an inputsignal; a plurality of second driving signal driving units, each ofwhich drives an input signal and generates a second driving signal; atiming control unit that controls each of the first driving signaldriving units such that a predetermined time difference is generatedbetween an enable timing of the first driving signal and an enabletiming of the second driving signal; a plurality of sense amplifierdriving units, each of which generates a first driving level and asecond driving level according to the first driving signal and thesecond driving signal; and a plurality of sense amplifiers that areprovided for respective bit line pairs, each having a bit line and a bitbar line, and each including first type switching elements operatingaccording to the first driving level and second type switching elementsoperating according to the second driving level.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodimentsthereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating offset voltage characteristics ofinternal transistors constituting a general sense amplifier;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are waveform diagrams illustrating an operation of asense amplifier at a high VDD condition according to the related art;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of an apparatus forsensing data of a semiconductor memory according to an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 4 is an internal circuit diagram of an SAN driver of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an internal circuit diagram of a sense amplifier driver ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an internal circuit diagram of a sense amplifier driver ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an internal circuit diagram illustrating the connectionrelationship between an SAP driver and a timing control unit accordingto an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are waveform diagrams illustrating an operation of asense amplifier at a high VDD condition according to an embodiment ofthe invention; and

FIG. 9 is a waveform diagram illustrating simulation results of anoperation of a sense amplifier according to an embodiment of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of theinvention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as being limited to theembodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. In thedrawings, the thicknesses of layers and regions are exaggerated forclarity.

Referring to FIG. 3, an apparatus for sensing data of a semiconductorintegrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present inventionincludes a plurality of data sensing units 100 provided for respectivebit line pairs, each of which includes a bit line BL and a bit bar lineBLb, and a timing control unit 200.

Each of the data sensing units 100 includes an SAP driver 110, an SANdriver 120, a sense amplifier driver 130, and a sense amplifier 140.

The SAP driver 110 drives a first input signal SAP_inp therebygenerating a first driving signal SAP. A structure of the SAP driver 110will be described in detail below.

Referring to FIG. 4, the SAN driver 120 drives a second input signalSAN_inp thereby generating a second driving signal SAN. The SAN driver120 includes a third inverter IV13 that has fifth and sixth transistorsM15 and M16, and a fourth inverter IV14 that has seventh and eighttransistors M17 and M18. The second input signal SAN_inp becomes aninput signal to the third inverter IV13, and an output signal of thethird inverter IV13 becomes an input signal to the fourth inverter IV14.

Referring to FIG. 5, the sense amplifier driver 130 generates a firstdriving level RTO and a second driving level SB according to the firstand second driving signals SAP and SAN, respectively. The senseamplifier driver 130 includes ninth through thirteenth transistors M19,M20, M21, M22, and M23. The ninth transistor M19 has a gate to which theSAP signal is input, and a drain to which a power supply voltage VDD isapplied. The tenth transistor M20 has a gate to which the SAN signal isinput, and a source to which a ground voltage VSS is applied. Theeleventh transistor M21 is connected between a source of the ninthtransistor M19 and a drain of the tenth transistor M20, and responds toa bit line equalizing signal BLEQ. Each of the twelfth and thirteenthtransistors M22 and M23 has a gate, to which the bit line equalizingsignal BLEQ and a drain, to which a bit line precharge voltage VBLP isapplied. A source of the twelfth transistor M22 is connected to aconnection node between the ninth transistor M19 and the eleventhtransistor M21. A source of the thirteenth transistor M23 is connectedto a connection node between the eleventh transistor M21 and the tenthtransistor M20. The respective connection nodes become levels of senseamplifier enable signals, that is, sense amplifier driving levels RT0and SB.

As shown in FIG. 6, the sense amplifier 140 senses cell data of the bitline BL and bit bar line BLb according to the first and second drivinglevels RT0 and SB. The sense amplifier 140 includes a fifth inverterIV15 that has fourteenth and fifteenth transistors M24 and M25, and asixth inverter IV16 that has sixteenth and seventeenth transistors M26and M27. The fifth inverter IV15 is connected with the sixth inverterIV15 to form a latch structure. That is, output signals of the fifthinverter IV15 and the sixth inverter IV16 become outputs of the sixthinverter IV16 and the fifth inverter IV15, respectively. The bit line BLis connected to an input terminal of the sixth inverter IV16, and thebit bar line BLb is connected to an input terminal of the fifth inverterIV15. The data sensing units 100 may have the same structure.

Meanwhile, the timing control unit 200 controls the SAP drivers 110 ofthe plurality of data sensing units 100, such that a predetermined timedifference exists between an enable timing of the first driving signalSAP and an enable timing of the second driving signal SAN. A structureof the timing control unit 200 and a connection structure between thetiming control unit 200 and the SAP drivers 110 will be described withreference to FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 7, the SAP driver 110 includes a first inverter IV11that has first and second transistors M11 and M12, and a second inverterIV12 that has third and fourth transistors M13 and M14. The first inputsignal SAP_inp is input to an input terminal of the first inverter IV11,and an output signal of the first inverter IV11 becomes an input signalto the second inverter IV12.

The timing control unit 200 includes an output delay unit 210 and adelay time control unit 220.

The output delay unit 210 delays an output timing of the SAP accordingto a delay time adjusting signal Vc. The output delay unit 210 includesa first resistor R1 and a second resistor R2, and a transistor M30 thatcontrols the amount of power supply current that flows through the firstand second resistors R1 and R2 according to the delay time adjustingsignal Vc. The first and the second resister R1 and R2 divide a powersupply voltage VPP. One end of the first resistor R1 is connected to apower supply terminal VPP, and a bulk of the PMOS transistor M13 of thesecond inverter IV12 of the SAP driver 110 is also connected to thepower supply terminal VPP. The second resistor R2 is connected betweenthe first resistor R1 and the power supply current adjusting transistorM30, and a connection node between the first resistor R1 and the secondresistor R2 is connected to a source of the PMOS transistor M13 of thesecond inverter IV12 of the SAP driver 110.

The transistor M30 has a drain connected to the other end of the secondresistor R2, a source connected to a ground terminal VSS, and a gatereceiving the delay time adjusting signal Vc.

The delay time adjusting unit 220 outputs the delay time adjustingsignal Vc according to a level of an external power supply VDD. Thedelay time adjusting unit 220 includes third to fifth resistors R3through R5 connected in series between an external power supply terminalVDD and a ground terminal VSS. The third to fifth resistors R3 throughR5 divide the external power supply VDD to generate the delay timeadjusting signal Vc.

The operation of the apparatus for sensing data of the semiconductorintegrated circuit that has the above-described structure according toan embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

First, an operational principle of an embodiment of the presentinvention is that the SB, which is the second driving level of the senseamplifier 140, reaches a ground level VSS before the RTO, which is thefirst driving level thereof. That is, the enable timing of the SAP,which is the first driving signal generating the RTO, needs to be laterthan that of the SAN, which is the second driving signal. In otherwords, the SAP is enabled later than the SAN with a sufficient timedifference therebetween.

Therefore, in this embodiment of the present invention, the output ofthe PMOS transistor M13 of the SAP driver 110 generating the SAP isdelayed such that the SAP is delayed more than the SAN. The operation ofan embodiment of the present invention will be described according tothe above-described principle.

As shown in FIG. 7, the source of transistor M13 in the SAP driver 110is electrically separated from the bulk of the transistor M13 of the SAPdriver 110. Here, the bulk of the transistor is a well region (not show)where the transistor is formed. That is, the internal power supply VPPthat has a level higher than the external power supply VDD is connectedto a bulk terminal of the transistor M13, and the internal power supplyVPP generating a voltage-dropping by the output delaying unit 210 isconnected to the source of the transistor M13.

When a level of the external power supply VDD increases, a level of thedelay time adjusting signal Vc that is output from the delay timeadjusting unit 220 increases. Therefore, on resistance of the transistorM30 is reduced. Accordingly, the current according to the internal powersupply VPP increases, and a level of the internal power supply VPPapplied to the source of the transistor M13 drops due to the resistorR1.

As the level of the external power supply VDD increases, the level ofthe source of the transistor M13 decreses. Therefore, a thresholdvoltage VT of the third transistor M13 increases by a difference betweenthe voltage level of the source of the transistor M13 and a voltagelevel of the bulk terminal thereof.

As the threshold voltage VT of the transistor M13 increases, output ofthe SAP of the SAP driver 110 is delayed. The delay time increases inproportion to the level of the external power supply VDD.

When the level of the external power supply VDD increases, the output ofthe transistor M13 becomes quicker. That is, when the level of theexternal power supply VDD increases, the transistor M13 is turned onquicker. Therefore, as the delay time increases according to the levelof the external power supply VDD, the time between the outputting timeof SAP and the outputting time of SAN allow for sensing the data stably.

In addition to a normal VDD condition as shown in FIG. 8A, the enabletiming of the SAP signal is sufficiently delayed more than the enabletiming of the SAN signal at a high VDD condition as shown in FIG. 8B.Therefore, the level of the SB reaches the ground VSS level earlier thanthe RTO, and thus a data sensing operation is normally performed.

FIG. 9 illustrates simulation results of the operation of a senseamplifier. In an embodiment of the present invention, when the SAP isdelayed for a predetermined time (for example, 600 pS) or more, a datasensing operation is normally performed. Accordingly, in an embodimentof the present invention, in FIGS. 8A and 8B, a circuit is designed suchthat the SAP is delayed for the delay time or more during which the datasensing operation is normally performed.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and changes may be made without departing from the scopeand spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understoodthat the above embodiments are not limiting, but illustrative in allaspects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appendedclaims rather than by the description preceding them, and therefore allchanges and modifications that fall within metes and bounds of theclaims, or equivalents of such metes and bounds are therefore intendedto be embraced by the claims.

The apparatus for sensing data of the semiconductor integrated circuitaccording to an embodiment of the present invention can prevent a datasensing error regardless of the power supply voltage level by usingoperation characteristics of the transistors. Therefore, the yield ofsemiconductor memory products and reliability of the operation thereofcan be improved.

1. An apparatus for sensing data of a semiconductor integrated circuit,the apparatus comprising: a sense amplifier configured to be coupledwith bit line pairs and including a first type switching elementoperated by an RTO level and a second type switching element operated byan SB level; a SAP driver including a first inverter and a secondinverter receiving an output signal of the first inverter and configuredto drive a first input signal thereby generating a SAP driving signalfor providing the RTO level; a SAN driver configured to drive a secondinput signal thereby generating a SAN driving signal for providing theSB level; a timing control unit configured to delay the SAP drivingsignal such that the SAP driving signal is enabled later than the SANdriving signal by a predetermined time; and a sense amplifier drivingunit configured to generate the RTO level and the SB level according tothe SAP driving signal and the SAN driving signal.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the timing control unit comprises: a delay timeadjusting unit configured to output a delay time adjusting signalaccording to a level of an external power supply; and an output delayunit configured to delay an output timing of the SAP driving signal ofthe SAP driver according to the delay time adjusting signal.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 2, wherein the output delay unit comprises: adividing resistor configured to divide a power supply voltage; and aswitching element that controls an amount of power supply current thatflows through the dividing resistor according to the delay timeadjusting signal.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the secondinverter comprises a PMOS transistor and wherein the dividing resistorincludes: a first resistor having a first end connected to a powersupply terminal at a connection node and a second end; and a secondresistor having a first end commonly connected to the PMOS transistorand to the second end of the first resistor and a second end.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 4, wherein the PMOS transistor includes a bulkterminal and the connection node between the first end of the firstresistor and the power supply terminal is connected to the bulk terminalof the PMOS transistor of the second inverter.
 6. The apparatus of claim4, wherein the PMOS transistor includes a source and the first end ofthe second resistor is connected to the source of the PMOS transistor.7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the switching element comprises atransistor having a drain connected to the second end of the secondresistor, a source connected to a ground terminal, and a gate configuredto receive the delay time adjusting signal.
 8. The apparatus of claim 2,wherein the delay time adjusting unit includes a dividing resistorconnected between a terminal for the external power supply and a groundterminal, and is configured to divide the external power supply so as tooutput the delay time adjusting signal.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the RTO level is a power supply level.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the first type switching element comprises a PMOStransistor.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the SB level is aground level.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second typeswitching element comprises a NMOS transistor.
 13. An apparatus forsensing data of a semiconductor integrated circuit, the apparatuscomprising: a plurality of data sensing units, each of which includessense amplifiers, each provided for each bit line pair having a bit lineand a bit bar line, and including a CMOS inverter having a NMOStransistor and a PMOS transistor, a SAP driver configured to generate aSAP driving signal for driving the PMOS transistors of the senseamplifiers, and a SAN driver configured to generate a SAN driving signalfor driving the NMOS transistors of the sense amplifiers; and a timingcontrol unit configured to delay the SAP driving signal such that theSAP driving signal is enabled later than the SAN driving signal.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of data sensing units areconnected in common to one timing control unit.
 15. The apparatus ofclaim 13, wherein the timing control unit comprises: a delay timeadjusting unit configured to output a delay time adjusting signalaccording to a level of an external power supply; and an output delayunit configured to delay an output timing of the SAP driving signal ofthe SAP driver according to the delay